Even after a person has served their time or resolved their case, a criminal record can continue to create significant obstacles. You may lose employment, housing, and educational opportunities, be unable to obtain a professional license, get loans denied, and it can affect a person’s immigration status.
On top of that, there is the social stigma that persons with criminal records face. For these, and many other reasons, it is always in your best interest to expunge cases from your criminal record or obtain a non-disclosure. At M|C Criminal Law, we have the best expungement lawyers in Dallas, TX who can help you remove these obstacles and allow you to lead a normal life.
Many people do not know that Texas law recently has expanded the number of eligible cases that can be cleared from your criminal record. This new law, in conjunction with previous laws, allows for many criminal offenses to be sealed or completely erased from a person’s record. In addition, expungements or non-disclosures can apply for recent or older cases, depending on how the case was resolved.
A criminal defense attorney can petition the court to have convictions sealed, removing blemishes from otherwise clean criminal histories. When the court seals a conviction, the offense no longer shows up on a criminal background check and is not accessible to the public. If a charge was reduced or dismissed, the law may offer even better options for clearing your record. However, for this, you need the services of an experienced expungement attorney in Dallas.
Expungement clears your criminal record, and non-disclosure seals the record from public view. A criminal case that’s been expunged can no longer be accessed, even by law enforcement. Non-disclosure means that law enforcement and some other agencies can still view it, but it cannot be accessed by potential employers, landlords, creditors, etc.
Eligibility has less to do with the original charge and more to do with how the case was resolved. Cases that have the most potential for eligibility include:
Here, we must note that many people believe that once a case is dismissed or dropped, it disappears. This is not true. You must follow through and file the right documents for expungement or non-disclosure. The paperwork must be filed properly or the courts will not accept it – our expungement lawyers in Dallas, TX can do this on your behalf.
Additionally, expungement and non-disclosure may be available in:
Yes. In some cases, you can receive a felony expungement or non-disclosure. As stated above, your eligibility has more to do with how the case was resolved than the details of the original charge. How long will it take to obtain an expungement or non-disclosure?
The length of time varies depending on the county, the district attorney’s office, and court processing. Usually, the process takes approximately two months, but in some cases, it can take up to 12 months. Don’t wait until you’ve started a job search or sent a university application.
More importantly, what you can expunge or non-disclose today may not be eligible tomorrow. Even a minor criminal charge can prevent you from accessing many opportunities. You should always start the process as soon as possible and continue with a clean slate. Our expungement attorneys in Dallas can help you from the filing to the moment your criminal record is clean.
Call us for a brief consultation. We are experienced expungement lawyers in Dallas, TX – with a five-minute phone call, we can usually tell you whether some or all of your criminal history can be cleared from your record. The first step is just making the phone call.
When the bill seeking to expand opportunities for expungement and non-disclosure was sent to the Texas House in 2016, we were the highest-ranking prosecutors in the Dallas DA’s office. We supported the bill and followed its progress through the legislative session. Soon after, we became criminal defense attorneys.
After years of experience as prosecutors and defense attorneys, we understand the process from every angle. With more than 26 years of criminal experience as both prosecutors and defense attorneys, M|C Criminal Law can help.
Don’t let a past mistake hinder your future. Texas law now wants to help you put it behind you. So do we. Contact the best expungement lawyer in Dallas, TX, and continue with a clean slate.
